Teesside University alumni Joe Martin joined us last night from New York via Google Hangouts to talk about his amazing journey as an entrepreneurs and the brains behind the latest big noise in AR gaming, Snatch!

Joe explained to the Technology and Enterprise Club that it was his passion for psychology and human behaviour and his interest in marketing and brand development that led him to develop the idea of Snatch! as a gaming experience that would appeal to brand managers who wanted to reach new audiences in new ways. Despite not being a programmer Joe is building a substantial tech company that will increasing fill this business space with new and compelling ideas. He also shared with the club that he has already had approaches from major global tech brands as to their interest in working with him in their area.

With over 40 major brand signed up, a new office in San Francisco and major investors supporting a second round of funding Snatch! and Joe look like they are really on their way!

Teesside University Technology and Enterprise Club kicked off the year by looking at the secrets of Innovation Culture. How you create an innovation culture, how you recognise an Innovation Culture and how you work with other to exploit new and innovative ideas.

We had Iain McPherson of local creative heavyweights from Big Bite Creative talking about his experience of the power of innovation in business and how students can benefit from local innovation initiatives like the tech networking programme Refresh Teesside.

Fourteen tech companies in the Tees Valley are being helped to scale and grow with the support of a new DigitalCity initiative.

DigitalCity Scale is a three-month programme designed specifically for ambitious businesses in the digital and technology sectors who can demonstrate high growth and potential for scaling.

The first cohort will begin the programme at a launch event tomorrow (Wednesday, 27 September) at Wynyard Hall where they will hear from Andrew Grill, an international expert on digital strategy having scaled numerous businesses.
DigitalCity, based at Teesside University, with support from the Tees Valley Combined Authority and European Regional Development Fund, works with digital and non-digital companies to drive innovation and growth.

Scale-ups are defined as companies who have seen consistent growth, and research has shown that they have the greatest potential to create jobs and grow the economy. Scaling a company involves implementing processes and systems to ensure that it has the capability to grow as the business grows.

DigitalCity Investment Programme manager, David Dixon, said: “The DigitalCity Scale programme is for tech companies who have got to a certain level but have started to plateau, or maybe those companies who have got a lot of early traction since start-up and are unsure how to act on it.

“Maybe they still have a slim management team of owner-managers who are unable to meet the demands of the day-to-day running of the business while helping it to grow.
“Our programme will enable them to meet these challenges and equip them with all the tools necessary to scale their business.

“Making sure that our tech companies realise their full potential for growth is a major priority for DigitalCity and for the Tees Valley.”

Each session will also hear from an inspirational business leader who will share insights and experience from their own entrepreneurial journeys.

Confirmed speakers include Daumantas Dvilinskas, a co-founder and CEO of international money transfer business TransferGo which was set up with the help of DigitalCity. Also speaking will be Kevin Mann, founder of Graphic.ly and Audacious.

Every entrepreneur will also be paired up with a dedicated business mentor who will help to formulate a bespoke action plan to help realise business aspirations.

David Dixon added: “This is a unique programme with nothing like it in the region specifically for the digital and tech sector.
“What makes it distinctive is the focus of the programme is on peer-to-peer learning.

“This is not a ‘chalk and talk’ programme – business leaders will be working with like-minded entrepreneurs, sharing and learning from each other’s challenges and obstacles.”

A second cohort of DigitalCity Scale is due to start in Spring 2018. Anybody interested in taking part can call 01642-384334 or email info@thedigitalcity.com for more information.

We are super excited at 2Tec Towers to have secured the fantastic Rob Wilmot to be a speaker on our spring 2018 speakers programme. As well as being a Founder of Freeserve, he co-founded and is Chairman & CEO Crowdicity: Idea Management Platform as well as being a Non-Executive Director at Cabinet Office: Crown Commercial Service.

Rob is going to share his ideas on Artificial Intelligence in his work shop entitled: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: RISE OF THE MACHINES.

We are discussing a firm date at the movement and will release its as soon as we have it.

“Where great ideas, meet great people!”

Our great friends at BigChainDB in Berlin are organising – 9984 SUMMIT: Blockchain Futures for Developers, Enterprises & Society from the Oct 5th-6th for more information link here.

Where will blockchain of today lead civilization in 9984?

In a world changing with technology, blockchain brings future possibilities into present times… And with building catalysts comes responsibility.

As a port, 9984 connects enterprises and developers to BigchainDB software. As an event, 9984 allows enterprises and developers to connect with each other to progress the unique opportunities possible in scalable blockchain technology.

Possibilities such as liberating personal data from centralized silos, helping creatives feed their families, and shining light of transparency on ossified corrupt systems will take center stage during the event’s two days of hands-on programming, presentations, and open discussions.

Teesside University Technology and Enterprise Club kick off the year by looking at the secrets of Innovation Culture. How you create an innovation culture, how you recognise an Innovation Culture and how you work with other to exploit new and innovative ideas.

We will be joined by Iain McPherson of local creative heavyweights Big Bite Creative to talk about his experience of the power of innovation in business and how students can benefit from local innovation initiatives like the tech networking programme Refresh Teesside.

Everyone is welcome, regardless of discipline and regardless of expertise! Teesside University Technology and Enterprise Club is well known for its informal, informative laid-back events and as always cake will be served…

My first big speaker has just confirmed for the autumn Technology and Enterprise Club programme. They are a very big cheese at the Silicon Valley Bank in California. It is a high-tech commercial bank and has helped fund more than 30,000 start-ups!!

Technology’s biggest companies are shifting to become artificial intelligence firms. In addition to hiring the world’s top AI talent, Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Baidu, have all opened-up parts of their systems to let developers work in the emerging field.

Russell Barnes, head of publishing at Raspberry Pi, tells WIRED it is the first time Google has designed or developed a device for makers and hobbyists. “The Voice HAT brings a microphone to the Raspberry Pi 3, which is one of the few areas it currently lacks support for out-of-the-box,” Barnes explains.

“More than that, though, it brings the ability to integrate natural voice interaction to anything you want to do with a Raspberry Pi.”

Initially, HAT is being launched as a free accessory with the latest edition of The MagPi – the official Raspberry Pi magazine. Costing £5.99, the magazine will ship with the HAT, a stereo microphone, speaker and cables needed. Raspberry Pi says it may release the HAT separately but didn’t elaborate further.

Some people claim that social enterprise is the future of business. That the ability to make a difference as well as the ability to make money will be the defining characteristic of new, successful, high growth businesses.

But can this work? How will consumer behaviour drive this paradigm change? What will a business have to do to be truly social? Can social goals ever be reconciled with the business imperative of creating profit?

Come along to our session to find out ‘What the Hell is a Social Enterprise!’. Discover what the main characteristics of successful social enterprises are. Meet Teesside University students running micro-social enterprises like the Student Food Co-op, Grass Roots…Tuck In and Enactus Teesside and learn how they are overcoming the challenges of creating social change whilst keeping the books balanced!

If social enterprise is the future of business, isn’t it time you found out about it!